11,000th pet adopted from Oregon Humane Society this year

Lucy, a four month old Jack Russell terrier, was adopted by Debbie and Peter Bruns on Sunday, making her the 11,000th pet adopted from the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) this year.

The Bruns family of Vancouver adopted Lucy because she reminded them of their Jack Russell named Ruby who passed away in May.

Peter Bruns said that their first night with Lucy went smoothly and that she fits right in at their home. “She’s just a pup, she was just overloaded and overwhelmed at the shelter. These animals really need a good home,” he said.

Lucy was rescued and originally placed in a shelter in California. The Oregon Humane Society accepted her as part of their Second Chance program for animals who are not adopted right away. They accept nearly 5,000 pets a year like Lucy from shelters across Oregon, Washington, and California.

The OHS is one of the busiest shelters in the country with one of the highest adoption rates. They adopt more animals from their single location in Northeast Portland than any other shelter on the West Coast.

“This is what the holidays are all about,” said OHS executive director Sharon Harmon. “Our goal is to find homes for 11,000 pets each year and it’s wonderful to see people opening their hearts to shelter animals.”

Lucy’s adoption marks the fifth consecutive year that OHS has reached their goal of finding homes for 11,000 pets.

Hana is currently pursuing an undergraduate English degree with a Spanish minor at Concordia University Portland. She loves creative writing and reading children's books and someday hopes to publish her own. Favorite hobbies include cooking, cleaning, eating ice cream, and singing Disney princess songs.